Are Josh And Anna Duggar In A Covenant Marriage?

Josh Duggar is currently waiting for his sentencing for the child pornography charges leveled against him, and the one question a lot of people are asking involves his wife, Anna. No one is quite certain about just how long Duggar will spend behind bars, but it will definitely be a long while.

With that in mind, many are wondering if Anna will continue to stay married to him with their six, almost seven, children in tow. Since his trial, she has seemingly been by his side. Unlike some siblings, she hasn’t released any statements cutting ties with the former reality tv star.

Followers of the family wonder if Anna’s reason for not filing a divorce yet is tied to the kind of marriage she had with Duggar. Some Duggar family members are in covenant marriages, so it isn’t out of place to assume that the couple might be in one too.

A covenant marriage is the same as a typical marriage except that there are some extra conditions the couple has to meet before they get married. It also gives specific requirements for a successful divorce between the couple.

Before their marriage, the couple is meant to attend counseling sessions and sign the paperwork, all aimed at empathizing their commitment to each other throughout their lives. This type of marriage is currently accepted in only three states, one of them being where the Duggar family resides, Arkansas.

Despite the restrictions, some acts could still allow divorce in covenant marriage. Via Legal Zoom, a divorce can be recognized if the couple goes into counseling but remain separated for two years. It can also happen if a partner proves that the other committed adultery or physical or sexual abuse is in the picture.

Besides those, a spouse can file for a divorce if the partner was convicted of a crime or leaves their marital home and doesn’t come back. Upon inspection, Anna could use a number of these to file for a divorce if she was really in a covenant marriage.

Anna met Josh in a homeschooling conference as a teenager and on the first season of “17 Kids And Counting.” The former reality television star proposed to her on her 18th birthday in June, and they married shortly after in September 2008.

The wedding was conducted in Anna’s home in Florida, and the marriage license was also generated there. Florida isn’t among the three states that recognize covenant marriage, so the couple got the regular marriage certificate to signify their union.

Given the grounds for filing a divorce in a covenant marriage, Anna could have still been able to file for one if she wanted to. In addition to other things that could have strengthened her divorce plea, Duggar made a public statement in 2015 where he confessed that he had cheated on Anna. Her refusal to file a divorce means that she has no intention of doing so, at least not right now.

Although Anna and her husband are not in a covenant marriage, other family members are. Duggar Data revealed that Jill and Derick Dillard were contemplating going into one; however, most siblings haven’t been vocal about it.

Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell are in a covenant marriage with Jedidiah Duggar and his wife, Katey Nakatsu. The two couples married in Arkansas, one state that recognizes covenant marriages.

Besides them, Josiah and Lauren Duggar, Ben and Jessa Seewald, Austin and Joy-Anna Forsyth, and Jeremy and Jinger Vuolo tied knots in Arkansas. However, none of them has mentioned acquiring a marriage license. Justin Duggar and Claire Spivey married in Texas, while John David Duggar and Abbey Burnett were wedded in Oklahoma; both states don’t recognize covenant marriages.

Long before Duggar’s publicized trial, he had molested five underage girls, including two of his own sisters. This was reportedly shared with Anna and her family before the couple got married in 2008. A source told People that the entire situation wasn’t adequately portrayed, and Anna didn’t fully comprehend it before her marriage.

“It definitely wasn’t portrayed in its entirety,” the source said. “I don’t think she understood the entirety of what had happened. It was kind of something that was swept under the rug, and nobody made a big deal out of it.”

Even with everything they were told, Anna’s parents still reportedly gave their blessing for the marriage, so Anna went along with it. “They still gave their blessing,” the source said.

“How she was brought up if your parents gave their blessing, then you pretty much marry the guy, and that’s what God’s will is for you and what’s best for your life. So much of her belief was based on what her parents told her and not in the actual truth. She looked to her parents, and they were okay with it, so she was okay with it.”